Eagles and Doves
by viol6tta
Summary: "For never was a story of more woe/ Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." Paris wakes after a close brush with death, only to find out that Romeo and Juliet were married to each other and that he was a great cause of the tragedy. But with Juliet gone, he had no more meaning in life. At least he thought so, until he was approached by a lady of a similar state as him. (ParisxRosaline)


They thought I was dead, so did I believe so myself. As when my eyes did open beside me lay Romeo, dead but still warm, a vial thrown on the floor not far from him. Draped across him was Juliet, my love, freshly dead, with blood seeping out through a stab wound on her chest, staining the Montague ruby red. My chest throbbed, and I did glance down to realise that the fight with Romeo did its damage. There was blood staining my own palm where I had clutched at my chest. Ignoring that, I reached out to fair Juliet, her cheeks flushed and very much unlike the last time I had seen her stone cold. My hand closed around those wanton cheeks of hers, and I let a tear run down my face. And then someone shouted.

It was my page, he whom I sent to keep watch before everything happened. He yelled "master!" and I saw him rush over to me, seating my head on his lap. And then good Friar Lawrence's face hovered over me and once again did darkness return to me.

I remembered everything. Of course, my love for Juliet was no impulsive, puppy love. She was fair, and beneath her beautiful exterior was a personality as stunning. And then I'd approached her father Capulet when I decided I was done waiting. Out of humbleness maybe, but he did seem rather reluctant to marry his young daughter, claiming that she was still too young. Instead he did invite me to his party, telling me that there are other beauties around for me to pick. I did turn up, and asked her to a dance, but I noticed her gaze set upon someone else, though through the crowd I was unable to pick out who.

And then when Tybalt was slain by the afterwards exiled Romeo, I did approach Capulet to offer my condolences, on which he did offer young Juliet's hand in marriage as to bring joy to her who was saddened over Tybalt's untimely end. I was happy, of course I was. It was like a dream come true, and Lord Capulet kindly agreed to handle arrangements of the wedding. After which I did bump into Juliet at the Friar's cell, presumably to make confessions, and I did leave them as they requested.

At that time, I did not know that that would be the last encounter with her. When I rose on the big day, making my way to rouse the love of my life for the wedding, they had presumed her dead. The wedding march was turned into a sorrowful anthem, and in her best garments still, we had watched her enter the Capulet's vault after her last journey. I felt my world collapse and crush me under, and not being able to bear the feeling of losing her, I summoned my faithful page and journeyed to the Capulet's vault to see her for the last time.

And when my page did whistle, I hid in a corner only to see Romeo, the merciless murderer who had caused my love to die of grief by murdering her kinsman Tybalt. He did enter and we drew on each other. Though I despise to admit but I did lose to his blade, and I bid him lay me with my love after I die, which he did promise. So he did. Maybe he was not that much a merciless killer after all.

I lifted my eyelids and waited for my vision to get accustomed. As I attempted to get up, I heard a gasp and my page shoved me back down. "Doth thou knowest how long I have been out?" I asked, and he did reply that I was for quite a good 3 days. After which, the Friar was called to attend to me and he proclaimed that I was fine.

To hell I was.

I never will be. Juliet was gone. And with my page's account of what happened on that fateful day I had returned to Capulet's vault, I found out that Juliet has been wedded to Romeo, which means that she was already someone's lawful wife. And it did not help that Juliet had not been dead when I cried over her that morning, even more that Romeo had absolutely no quarrel with me but to enter the vault and kill himself to be with Juliet. Which implied that I could have saved her if I had not sprung on Romeo. Their tragedy was a large part my fault, I decided.

And so here I am, trailing the roads of Verona without Juliet in it. It felt strange. And I watched the people of Verona continue their day. Of course, many's tongue spoke of the Montagues and the Capulets still, and as I sat down on a fountain in the middle of a city, some people eyed me with pity. Presumably because everyone knew that I nearly foolishly wedded someone else's wife, only to have her die on her wedding day. I put my heads in my hands and rested my elbows on my knee. Just then, a gentle voice made me lift my head.

"Is that seat vacant?" A fair lady indicated the space beside me. I nodded, and she sat herself down. "Count Paris, nice to meet you. My condolences on thy tragedy." She said, offering a subtle smile. I attempted a weak smile back and gave her a little bow. And then I caught sight of a ring that flashed on her finger. It was a Capulet ring, and instantly I remembered seeing her at Capulet's party, eyeing Romeo from a distance. "Lady Rosaline, I am sorry I fail to recognize you."

She looked at me and let out a short and soft laugh. "Ay, Rosaline is my humble name." And then I realized that despite offering me her condolences, it was her cousin she had lost 3 days ago. And judging by how she had stole glances at Romeo during the Capulet's party, perhaps her love too. "Forgive me, I do offer my condolences on thy cousin too… and Romeo, since…" I trailed off, not knowing how to continue. She laughed again, her laughter echoing in the air like the beautiful sound of a chime. "We are in the same situation now, are we not?" She sighed, and straightened her back to look into the sky.

"Certainly we are."

 **A/N: I am so ticked off by the fact that Rosaline was not included in the list of romeo and juliet's characters like is she not a character in here? From the cover page it looks like a Paris x Page fanfic oh goodness save me. Anyway, just because they didn't allow the Rosaline option, I'm here to say that this is a Paris x Rosaline fanfiction. I apologise for any weird attempts at Shakepeare's language and I hope that I can last long enough not to suddenly give up on this weird way of speech.**


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